Apparatus for assembling floral blankets



1955 A. N. QUIDOR 2,715,288

APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING FLORAL BLANKETS Filed Jan. 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l l Tic E Hllyn 1,!!

IN V EN TOR. 4/?71/00 A! aa/pop 2 Sheeta-Sheet 2 llyuulfi A. N. QUIDOR APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING FLORAL BLANKETS 5 INVENTOR. 3 ART/10A? Y 011/009 ATTORNEY 8 mill!!! H /lulu! u Aug. 16, 1955 Filed Jan. 8, 1954 APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING FLORAL BLANKETS Arthur N. Quidor, New York, N. Y. Application January 8, 1954, Serial No. 402,953 8 Claims. (Cl. 41-2) the construction of floral blankets, wreaths and similar floral displays, and it has for its object to simplify and expedite the assembly of such display forms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for use in assembling floral pieces or displays of the above type.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

The invention is especially adapted for use in constructing or assembling floral pieces of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 304,759, now U. S. Patent No. 2,676,518, filed August 16, 1952, consisting of a mat of soft pliable material having a suitable outer facing such as artificial grass and having flowers arranged according to any desired pattern with their heads seated in said grass and their stems piercing the blanket and secured atthe back. In the embodiment disclosed in said application the flowers forming the display are secured in place by wires which are wrapped around the individual flowers and have their ends twisted together to lock the whole assembly together. The back of said blanket is closed by flaps which are secured to the edges of the blanket and may contain strips of pliable metal to conform the blanket to the shape of any surface, such as a curved surface, upon which it may he placed.

The present invention is concerned with mounting and securing flowers in a soft pliable mat or blanket of the above type, and for the sake of simplicity it will be described as applied to a rectangular floral blanket of the type commonly employed for draping caskets, monuments, etc., although it will be evident as the description proceeds that the invention is equally applicable to the construction of ornamental displays of circular or any other shape or size, and for any purpose.

The assembling device of the present invention preferably comprises a support consisting of a pair of mating fiat rectangular frame members, in the general shape of a picture frame, which fit together, one on top of the other, and are adapted to clamp the soft penetrable mat of the floral blanket between them. The face of one frame member, which I call the back frame, contains linear rows of upstanding pins, while the cooperating face of the other frame member, which I call the front frame, contains corresponding rows of holes into which said pins fit when the two frames are superimposed one upon the other and locked together as by means of corner bolts.

In practice, the back frame is simply placed on a table or other support, and the four edges of the floral mat are impaled upon the linear rows of pins which project upwardly from the four flat marginal faces of said frame, the mat being drawn taut somewhat in the manner of a curtain when pinned on a curtain-stretching frame. The front frame is then passed over the back frame the pins of which mate with the corresponding rows of holes in the front frame, and the two frames are then This invention relates to locked or bolted together with the mat sandwiched between them and the front or decorative grass face of the mat exposed through the front frame.

The back frame of the device has a longitudinally movable member or bar which slides in elongated tracks or slots in opposite parallel sides of said frame and may be locked in any position to which it may be moved. When the floral mat is secured between the two frames as mentioned above, a flat surface of the aforesaid movp; able bar lies directly beneath the underside of said mat in a plane perpendicular thereto. An elongated strip of adhesive tape is clipped or otherwise secured to the flat surface of the movable bar, with the sticky or adhesive side of said tape facing outwardly. When the bar has been moved to a position where it is desired to insert one or more flowers in the mat, the mat is pierced with an awl or other suitable tool and the stem of a flower is inserted in the resulting hole. The head of such flower rests snugly in the decorative grass face of the mat, while the stem extends through the mat where it is pressed into engagement with the sticky side of the adhesive tape. When the required number of flowers, for example a linear file of flowers, are assembled in the mat in the manner described, the adhesive tape is doubled over to lock the stems of the flowers firmly between the folds of the tape, or else a second strip of adhesive tape is applied over the first-mentioned strip With the flower stems sandwiched between them. In this manner the flowers are firmly anchored in the mat, after which the movable bar is moved to another position and the foregoing procedure repeated until the floral blanket is completely assembled.

Although the novel features which are characteristic of this invention are set forth more in detail in the claims appended hereto, the nature and scope of the invention may be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which certain specific embodiments have been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the assembled apparatus showing a floral blanket secured between the two frame members, with parts broken away to illustrate details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the means for securing the floral blanket between the two frame members;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the frame and the movable bar, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a detail secetion on line 55 of Fig. 4, showing means for mounting the adhesive tape on the movable bar;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional View, taken from the same position as Fig. 4, before the adhesive tape is doubled over the stems of the flowers;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the tape doubled over the steam of the flowers to secure same in place;

Fig. 8 is a detail section taken on line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but employing two narrow tapes cooperating to lock the flowers in place;

Fig. 10 is a detail section similar to Fig. 5 but showing different means for holding the tape on the movable bar;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view of the movable bar employing still another means for holding the tape in place; and

Fig. 12 is a detail section taken on line 1212 of Fig. 11.

In thefollowing description certain specific terms are used for convenience in referring to the various details of the invention. These terms, however, are to be interpreted as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

' Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the device shown therein comprises a rectangular back frame 1 and a rectangular front frame 2, which are of identical size and shape, resembling a picture frame, and have smooth flat cooperating faces which may be superimposed one upon the other in the manner illustrated to form a two-ply symmetrical structure. In the embodiment illustrated, the four corners of the two mating frames have apertured extensions for the insertion of bolts 3 having wing nuts 4 for clamping the frame together in the proper position.

The flat face of the back frame 1 contains a series of upstanding pins 5 arranged in linear rows on the four legs of said frame, and the matching flat faces of the front frame 2 contains cooperating rows of corresponding holes 6 into which said pins 5 fit when the two frames are superimposed as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

The floral blanket shown herein for purposes of illustration comprises a rectangular penetrable mat 7 of soft pliable material having a front facing of artificial grass 8. From the foregoing description it will be evident that when the back frame 1 is placed on a table or other support, with the pins 5 facing upwardly, the four marginal edges of the floral mat 7 may readily be impaled upon the linear rows of pins 5 as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4. When this is done, with the mat preferably drawn taut somewhat like a curtain on a stretching frame, the

front frame 2 may then be placed upon the back frame 1 with the pins 5 of frame 1 mating in the holes 6 of frame 2. Then, by applying the bolts 3 and tightening wing nuts 4, the frames 1 and 2 are securely locked together with the mat 7 sandwiched between them, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

As shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the back frame 1 has a longitudinally movable member or bar 9 of L-shaped cross section which slides in elongated slots 10 in opposite parallel sides of said frame. One flat side of the L-shaped bar 9 lies beneath, and parallel to, the under side of frame 1 and has upturned perpendicular flanges 12 containing adjustable screws 13 which track in the slots 10 (Fig. 1), while the other upstanding flat side or surface of said bar 9 occupies the space between the slotted sides of frame 1 and thus lies directly beneath and perpendicular to the plane of the mat 7 and to the flat marginal surfaces of the frame itself (Figs. 1 and 4). By simply loosening the screws 13, the bar 9 may be moved manually along the length of the back frame 1, and, by tightening said screws 13, the bar 9 may be locked in any position to which it is moved.

..The movable bar 9 has a pair of spring clips 14 adjacent'its opposite ends, secured as by rivets 15 to the under side of the bar, and with their free ends resiliently engaging the upstanding flat surface of the bar, as shown .in Fig. 5. An elongated strip of adhesive tape 16 may be secured to the upstanding flat surface of bar 9 simply by snapping the spring clips 14 over the ends of said tape with the sticky or tacky side of the tape facing outwardly (out of contact with bar 9) and engaged by said clips .(Figs. 2, 4 and 5). The purpose of the adhesive tape 16 is to secure and anchor the decorative flowers in the floral mat 7, in a manner which will now be described.

Although flowers and the like may be inserted in the penetrable mat 7 at any desired points, to form any desired decorative design, it will be assumed for the sake of simplicity that a plurality of flowers 17 having stems 18 are to be arranged in parallel rows in the mat. The assembled device containing the mat 7 may stand vertically on the floor or table, depending upon its size, although it may sometimes be preferred to rest it in an angular position on a suitable easel where all parts are readily accessible from both front and back. In such case the bar 9 is moved to the lowermost position where it is desired to insert a row of flowers in the mat 7, and the screws 13 are turned to lock the bar in such position. To insert the first flower, the mat 7 is pierced with an awl or similar sharp tool and the stem 18 of the flower 17 is inserted in the resulting hole. The head of the flower now rests snugly in the grass 8 on the front of mat 7, while the stem 18 extends through the mat where it is pressed into engagement with the tacky side of adhesive tape 16 on the flat surface bar 9, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 6. When the entire row of flowers is in place (Fig. 6) the adhesive tape 16 is doubled over so that the two adhesive folds are stuck together with the stems 18 of the flowers securely locked therein, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. As an alternative, instead of folding the tape 16, a second strip of adhesive tape 19 may be applied over the strip 16 with the flower stems 18 sandwiched between said strips 16 and 19 as shown in Fig. 9.

When one row of flowers is completed in the manner described above, the screws 13 or bar 9 are loosened and the bar is moved to the position where the next row of flowers is to be assembled, whereupon the bar is locked in such position and the foregoing procedure is repeated, and so on until the floral blanket is completely assembled with all the flowers firmly anchored in mat 7 by the respective strips of adhesive tape.

Fig. 10 shows a modification in which the upstanding flat surface of the movable bar 9 has a plurality of pins 20 for holding the adhesive tape 16 upon said bar, instead of employing the spring clips 14 previously described.

Figs. 11 and 12 show still another modification, in which rotatable spring clips 21 are swiveled by pins or rivets 22 on the aforementioned flat surface of bar 9 for securing the adhesive tape in place. The bar 9 of Figs. 11 and 12 may contain a number of such clips 21 spaced apart at short intervals, and, when employing a full-length strip of adhesive tape as previously described,

such tape may be held only by the two end clips, and all the intermediate clips may be rotated out of contact with the tape so that they will not obstruct the stems of the flowers. However, when a short adhesive tape or tapes are to be employed in effecting some special floral design, such short lengths may be clamped by the clips 21 which occupy the appropriate positions on the bar 9.

When the floral blanket is completed, the back may be closed by the flaps previously referred to and disclosed in my above-mentioned U. S. Patent No. 2,670,518, and the device of the present invention may of course be employed to assemble floral mats equipped with such flaps. On the other hand, the back of the blanket may be closed by any other suitable covering according to the purpose for which the blanket is intended.

Although certain specific details of construction have been shown and described herein for purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is capable of various modifications and adaptationswithin the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. A device for use in assembling floral pieces by inserting the stems of flowers through a penetrable mat, comprising a rectangular support having means for securing the marginal edges of said mat while leaving the rest of the mat unobstructed, a longitudinally movable bar beneath said support carried by opposite parallel sides thereof, and means on said bar for detachably supporting a strip of adhesive tape for securing the stems of flowers inserted through said mat.

2. A device for use in assembling floral pieces by inserting the stems of flowers through a penetrable mat, comprising a pair of mating frame members adapted to be superimposed one upon the other and having means cooperating to secure the marginal edges of said mat between them while leaving the rest of the mat unobstructed, a movable member carried by one of said frame members, and means on said movable member for detachably 5 supporting a strip of adhesive material for securing the stems of flowers inserted through said mat.

3. A device for use in assembling floral pieces by inserting the stems of flowers through a penetrable mat, comprising a pair of mating rectangular frames having corresponding marginal surfaces adapted to be superimposed one upon the other and having means cooperating to secure the marginal edges of said mat between them while leaving the rest of the mat unobstructed, a longitudinally movable bar carried by one of said frames am. having a flat surface spanning the space between opposite parallel sides of said frame, and means on said bar for detachably supporting a strip of adhesive tape on the flat surface of said bar for securing the stems of flowers inserted through said mat.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which the marginal surface of one frame contains a plurality of pins for impaling the marginal edges of said mat, and in which the mating marginal surface of the other frame contains a plurality of corresponding holes mating withv said pins when the frames are superimposed one upon the other.

5. A device according to claim 4, in which said movable bar has a flat surface spanning the space between opposite parallel sides of the frame in a plane perpendicular to the plane of movement of said bar, and in which means are provided for detachably supporting the strip of adhesive tape on said flat surface.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which the tape supporting means comprises a plurality of spring clips cooperating with the fiat surface of said bar.

7. A device according to claim 6, in which certain of the spring clips are swiveled on said bar and are movable out of contact with the adhesive tape carried by said bar.

87 A device according to claim 3, in which opposite parallel sides of one frame contain longitudinal slots, and in which opposite ends of said movable bar contain adjustable screws tracking in said slots for locking said bar in any position to which it is moved.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 410,226 White Sept. 3, 1889 2,059,525 Huelsdonk Nov. 3, 1936 2,526,527 Zander Oct. 17. 1950 

